How to Grow Dianthus From Cuttings

All varieties of Dianthus grow well from cuttings.

Dianthus includes several species of flowering plant commonly cultivated in gardens, including sweet william, clove pink and maiden pink. They range in size between 10 and 30 inches in height, but all feature showy flowers with fringed or slightly frilly edges. Gardeners in USDA zones 3 to 8 have the best luck with plants in the genus Dianthus, but it is mainly grown as an annual in zones 7 and below. Propagating Dianthus plants can be done using seeds or stem cuttings, although stem cutting propagation is preferable because the plants mature and bloom faster than with seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Horticultural grit
• 4-inch nursery container
• Floral snips
• 0.1-percent IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) rooting hormone
• Large plastic bag
• Twist tie or rubber band
• Planter mister

Instructions

1. Combine equal measures of compost and horticultural grit to create a rich, well-draining rooting mix suited to the needs of dianthus cuttings.

2. Fill a 4-inch nursery container with the compost and grit mixture. Saturate the mixture with lukewarm water and let it drain for a few minutes before inserting the dianthus cutting. Poke a 2-inch-deep planting hole in the center of the mixture.

3. Select a promising cutting from a healthy Dianthus plant. Choose a cutting with no flowers or buds and a healthy crown of foliage near the tip. Measure 4 to 6 inches from the tip of the foliage and make the cut just below a set of leaves using a sharp pair of floral snips.

4. Remove the foliage from the lower half of the cutting by pulling them off. Coat the lower end of the cutting in 0.1-percent IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) rooting hormone. Use powdered rooting hormone, if possible.

5. Insert the hormone-coated end of the dianthus cutting into the planting hole. Orient the cutting so it is upright and press the soil tight around the base. Water the cutting with 1/4 cup of water.

6. Set the potted dianthus cutting inside a large plastic bag. Gather and close the open end of the bag above the top of the dianthus cutting. Secure the opening with a twist tie or rubber band.

7. Place the dianthus cutting on a sunny windowsill. Choose a windowsill with bright light but no more than one hour of direct sun exposure per day.

8. Open the bag once a week and spray the soil with water from a plant mister. Three or four spritzes will do.

9. Look for roots emerging from the drainage holes in the bottom of the nursery container after 30 days. Repot the dianthus into a permanent container with rich soil and good drainage once the roots emerge.

References

• "American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques"; Alan Toogood; 1999